Email Encouragement

Sometime's an e-mail from someone you only barely met can be a good push to get through a day. I got an e-mail from Bart Campolo who I have mentioned in some previous posts after I heard him speak the Youth Retreat here in Illinois. He doesn't really know me at all but we have had some similar experiences and we can encourage one another through that. His e-mail wasn't long, but it didn't need to be. I am thankful for people and communities that are trying hard to live out the gospel and encouraging each other while they do. In part of the e-mail he said this:

It sounds like you’re doing great stuff, but I hope you have a community there to support you in doing it. This people loving stuff is really a team sport. On that same note, I hope you will feel free to contact me again if there is ever some way I can be helpful to you. I don’t know everything, but I know lots of good people all over the place who are into this kind of lifestyle and eager to encourage you newbies!

It made me pause and think about the community I have and if I want more in community. I have been blessed with some great friends here in Illinois that are there to listen to my endless stories about my kids, or there to just watch a movie when I need a break from it all, there to have deep conversations or just silly ones to have a good laugh. Then I have my US-2 Missionary community who are all going through what I am, but just all over the country. They are always there to talk and even when it might be months and months inbetween phone convo's it seems like no time has passed.

I do sometimes feel that I seek more in a community...
Communities like The Simple Way, The Rutba House, other monastic communities and the community Bart lives in...
They appeal to me...
I'm still pondering this...

The Zoo: No Koala's, touching sharks, and Brutus the Walrus

I have been saying I would post a blog entry on my trip to Indianapolis 2 weeks ago, and I am just now getting around to it! It was a really fun day trip with my friends Erin and Eric. We had fun learning about Indiana through our brochures from the Welcome Center. I was amazed, Indiana sound like a cool state. Indianapolis is a cool city, my favorite part was Mass Ave. which is a trendy area with awesome shops, cool wine stores, chocolate store, and a cool kids shop. It was a beautiful day in Indy:)

I did want to point out that the Zoo was fun, but I was saddened by 2 things...

1. They falsely advertised in their brochures that there would be a Koala Exhibit. There were NO Koala's. Instead the new exhibit that was not open yet is going to be the Komono Dragon. I would rather see a Koala. Luckily there were Koala masks in the gift shop so I got to pretend I was a Koala.

2. The dolphin show was sold out. And all I wanted to do was see the freakin dolphins because I LOVE Dolphins. I used to want to be a marine biologist. My dream is to swim with dolphins. Instead we had to watch the dolphins do their show from below while we were in the viewing area. It wasn't too bad but I was still disappointed. But I did get to pet a shark, and that was cool.

Besides those 2 things I had a lovely day hanging out with friends, eating a yummy dinner, walking around a cool city, and enjoying the warmth of a rare warm weekend!

Speaking up

Some of you might disagree with me on this post, that's ok, I will listen to your opinions as well, I welcome discussion, but here are mine. Back in July I wrote a post about needing to speak up for what is right. I had visited a church in Brooklyn that was an open accepting & affirming United Methodist Church. As all of us US-2's walked into that church and worshiped there that night, I know we felt it was a church that was accepting of all people. Before we even entered there was no doubt that they were accepting people because of their sign that was right beside the entrance, in Large font...

Hand in Hand, we the people of Park Slope United Methodist Church - black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor - unite as a loving community in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth." -- The PSUMC Creed

I wish this was every church's creed. But sadly it is not. We still have so far to go with human & civil rights on the spectrum of Gay (GBLTQ) Rights and also with Race, religion, ethnicity, etc... I watched the movie MILK tonight about Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk and his fight to not get Prop 6 (a law to not allow Homosexuals and Homosexual Allies to teach in schools or be in other forms of work associated with the government) Passed. He succeeded right before he was assassinated. He said these words that stick with you,Harvey Milk: All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.

Now many years later, California faces Prop 8. One more obstacle for the gay community. And the people that want Prop 8 to pass, are the Christians. Some say, "fundamentalist Christians"...but sadly it's not just the fundamentalists that are at fault, it is all Christians. We should not be standing in the way of civil rights. Jesus, the one we all claim to follow, I honestly believe would NOT be standing in the way of civil rights for homosexuals. You might disagree with me and you are free to your opinion. But the Jesus that I follow and am trying to serve each day would have wanted rights for Gays and people of all sexual orientations and backgrounds. Jesus loved us all, he does love us all. There is no way I can look into the eyes of some of my kids that I work with that have come to me and told me they are struggling with their sexual orientation and tell them they are going to hell or might need to get "fixed". There is no way I will tell them that they can never act on it, because who is to put defining lines around who you can and cannot love. There is no way I can look my friends that have come out to me over the years in the eyes and tell them that I will not be their friends because they are gay or lesbian. And I choose to think that I will end up in a heaven where they are there too, because I know that the God I worship loves all his children. My friends that have come out to me, tell me I am rare in my thinking. But honestly I think there are a lot more allies for the gay community out there with in the Christian community, but people are just afraid to speak up.

To know that not too many years ago, if Prop 6 could have passed in California, and I had become a teacher...and considering that I am an ally to the homosexual community, I would not have a job. That scares me! We might think we have come a long way, but we are still so far from truly accepting all those around us.

Harvey Milk, was an amazing activist, he was passionate about getting rights for his community that he loved so dearly. He said that if everyone could just know 1 person that was gay, that they would not vote for Prop 6. I wonder if the same would be the case for Prop 8? I wonder if the same would be for any civil rights and human rights issue. And not just know a person in passing but truly know someone you care for.

As the Christian community, have we truly gotten to know ALL of our neighbors? I don't think so. Jesus' commandment was to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. Do we truly take that to heart? If we truly loved ALL of our neighbors as much as we love ourselves, then we would be living in a very different world. Maybe the problem is we don't love ourselves. I did have one of my kids tell me the other day that she has a hard time loving herself, and that is why she has a hard time loving and being nice to her peers. I don't think she knew how profound she was. Love yourself, then go out and love your neighbors. As the old Christian song goes:

"They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by our love"

Where is our love? Do others know Christians by their love?

I have a dream too, like Martin Luther King Jr. did, like Abe Lincoln did, and like Harvey Milk did. I have a dream that one day our kids will not feel judged by Christians on the basis of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political preference, or anything else. I have a dream that kids and people all over the world will feel only love from Christians. It's a big dream, a dream I might never see, but without hope that, that dream will come true one day, I would not be here writing this tonight.

The Summons

On Tuesday, at my Grad study we were reflection on what Redemption is and what it means to us. We were supposed to spend some time looking through hymns to find one that spoke to us on what we think redemption is. I picked The Summons from The Faith We Sing Book that the United Methodists have. Honestly at first I just picked this song because it is one of my favorites. But after I started to reflect on it I realized that this is very much my view of redemption. It might not be yours but I feel that redemption is that Jesus showed us through his life and ultimate sacrifice that we are to continue the work of his redeeming love for us by setting others free and seek justice throughout our lives. I love this song because it is like God speaking to us and summoning us to do his work in the world and let him transform us. All of the Verses are in question form except for the last, as to leave it in our hands, he has redeemed us but now the ball is in our court. And the last verse "we" answer and say that we will go forth and never be the same, we will go where his footsteps show and we will continue to grow. Take some time today to reflect on the words of this song and maybe take some time to think about what redemption means to you.

The Summons

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare, should you life attract a scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in your and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
and do such as this un-seen?
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you ue the faith you've found,
to re-shape the world a-round,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same
In your company I'll go, where you love and footsteps show
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me

Fool for Christ

I have been throwing around ideas all morning for a message I will be giving at Chapel on March 25th. I keep coming back to the idea about being a Fool for Christ. When I heard Bart Campolo speak a few weeks ago he brought up the idea to the teens that it's ok to be different and doing radical things if you are following Jesus. But to be prepared because the world will think those things are "foolish". I want to get that idea across to my kids as well. I'll never forget when my dad did a confirmation retreat using the movie Patch Adams (where the Doctor shares the medicine of laughter and humor with his patients and not many people approve). He then came into church and for confirmation Sunday he preached a sermon about being a Fool for Christ. The kids came up to the altar and were confirmed and before they turned around to be presented to the congregation my dad had them all put on red clown noses! As they turned around the congregation erupted in laughter. Yet if those kids walked around with the clown noses on all the time, I doubt they would get the same warm and joyful laughter, instead they would hit criticism and bullying. I am sure the kids didn't realize how profound of a statement they were actually making at the time. But they processed out that day acting like Fools and starting their walk with Christ off right!

I love these 2 scriptures, but at the same time I think they are some of the hardest scriptures to actually live out. It is hard to be different, it is hard to stand up for what is right all the time, it is hard to be something that the world says is foolish. Like the scripture says, We're the Messiah's misfits! Or the title I like is we are Radical Ragamuffins! Obviously back in the early church many were treated as fools or misfits, but now I wonder if we are really living out our faith enough to gain that title. My prayer for us all today is that we can embrace our faith and passion for social justice and peace enough that we will be called misfits and ragamuffins. Be a fool for Christ!

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 (The Message)
9-13It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We're something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. We're the Messiah's misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we're mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don't have enough to eat, we wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces, and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, "God bless you." When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We're treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture's kitchen. And it's not getting any better.

1 Corinthians 3:18 (The Message)
18-20Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It's written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls.

But Who do you say I am?

Jesus Asked:

"But Who do you say I am?"

Son of Man, Son of God

¹³When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"

¹⁴They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

¹⁵He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"

¹⁶Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

^17-18Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

¹⁹"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."

²⁰He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.

In chapel on Wednesday night this is the passage of scripture we focused on. We asked a few kids to write a response to this question, "Who is Jesus to you?". The responses about brought me to tears. I wanted to share one with you:

He is someone I go to when I've got a problem and someone who won't judge me. I also feel Jesus can be people that make a difference on you. Because Jesu made a difference on lots of people. Jesus will not judge people. And to me his opinion matters most. ~B, 17 year old~

I am always amazed at the things my kids will say. They have been through so much pain, but they know Jesus is there for them and will comfort them. Today spend something answering that question Jesus poses to his disciples and now to you, "Who is Jesus to you?".

Jesus Questions

Here are some Jesus Questions to focus on today:

Jesus asks:

Why did you doubt?

Matthew 14:31 (The Message)

³¹Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?"

Jesus asks:

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not
notice the log in your own eye?

Matthew 7

A Simple Guide for Behavior

^1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Is God a community member?

Last night at my Graduate bible study we were discussing what Jesus' sacrifice means to us. We all had different ideas and also had many that overlapped each other. It was nice to spend that time reflecting on what Jesus' sacrifice means to us on a personal level. In many ways that is what Lent is all about. During our study of sacrifice throughout the bible we have come across multiple times the reference to the idea that during the Old Testament sacrifice was always about repairing and maintaining community and personal relationships within the community (which included God as a community member). I posed the question last night on whether we had included God as a community member in our community. It's a hard question to answer because you feel like you should say yes, because we worship because of God and to praise him, right? But do we truly include him as a community member? And also are we creating a community that God would approve of? I think during this season of Lent we are to really look deeply into ourselves and also into our communities to see if we are truly letting God in. Some of the things that I said that Jesus' sacrifice means to me was that idea of unconditional and ultimate love for his children, an ultimate act of love for the community, freedom to live, and many more. But as we approach Holy Week in the weeks to come, I urge you to reflect on what Jesus' sacrifice means to you. Also ask that question of whether you are including God as a community member in your community? The below quote is one of my favorites, I think this would be a community God would approve of.

We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been—a place, half-remembered, and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free. ~Starhawk~

One

As I shared with you on Sunday, Bart Campolo shared a story of the drug dealer in his neighborhood who he has gotten to know and love, who now stands up and with arms open wide he embraces him each time he sees him. That image has been going through my mind over and over the last few days. I am trying to figure out how this applies to my life, my church, my work. I was looking through some song lyrics for songs that I feel really portray this idea of open arms and unconditional love. I came across a song that I have shared with some of you, and actually one of you is the one who wrote it! This is a song by my dear friend Kelly McRell. She has a lovely soul and the words she shares below are from her heart. She wrote this after coming back from a service trip to Bolivia for a month. Her message goes beyond borders, with the theme that we are all "one". The chorus...
we come from one world/ million miles apart / let us bridge the gap so we may shine out the light /with your open arms and your heart filled with love/ you have opened my eyes to see we are one.

Reflect upon the song below and spend the day figuring out how the image of "open arms" can be applied to your life during this Season of Lent and beyond (feel free to share these with me!):

One – by Kelly McRell

I came to this place with my ego held high
what i needed to bring was my humility's light
we are all born with desire
passion burning bright
with ability to light others like the stars light up the night

we come from one world
million miles apart
let us bridge the gap so we may shine out the light
with your open arms and your heart filled with love
you have opened my eyes to see we are one

we are one people we have one sky
we must work with each other if we want to get by
we are sisters we are brothers
mothers and fathers
let us stand up today and unite as one

I can see through your eyes and i know where you’ve been
I can see your children and know where you’re going
I can see you hands and see your life’s work

http://www.myspace.com/KellyEllyMcRelly **You can listen to the song at this link!

A bunch of imperfect people

Read the following poem and spend a few minutes on what God's love means to you.

God's Love

by Sri Chinmoy

God-Love outlives
All our imperfections
And limitations.

God’s Love for us
Is overwhelming-
In the inner world
And in the outer world as well.

A day of God-love
Is the only real day
In my heart.

The God-seeker in me longs
To arrive at the goal.
The God-lover in me feels
That he does not have to arrive
At a particular goal,
For God-love itself encompasses
Both the journey's start
And
The journey's goal.

This is one person's reflection on what God's love means to them. I really like the end where is says that "God-love outlives all our imperfections and limitations". We are such imperfect people and yet God loves us no matter what. At this retreat I went to Bart Campolo was the speaker for the weekend and some of you might know him because his dad is Tony Campolo or you might know that he set up the program Mission Year. He now lives in inner-city Cinncinati with his family and a community of friends. He was a phenomenal speaker and he said something yesterday morning that just hit me hard. He was talking about the people that live in his inner city neighborhood, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, the alcoholics, the kids, etc..and he told us about how he started this monday night dinner where he invited about 40 people over to his house to have a meal together, they were not "Former prostitutes, drug dealers, etc" they WERE and would continue to be. They were a bunch of broken people all under one roof, breaking bread together. He said it took about a year before people felt comfortable enough to stay for more than 15 minutes. But slowly they learned to feel included, accepted and above all LOVED. These broken people in Cinncinati might never change, they might never accept Jesus into their hearts, they might never stop dealing drugs, the cycle of poverty might never end, but does that mean a Christians we do nothing. NO! We are called to love. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, not to fix one another, not to change one another, not to make everyone a Christian, God just calls us to love. He wants us to love without judgement and to just be there with open arms like the father in the prodigal son story. Bart said that there was one guy that had been a drug dealer for 20 years and only stopped because of getting shot once and now he can't think well. He used to never aknowledge when Bart would walk by him on the street, but now he stands up, when he sees Bart coming and he open his arms to embrace Bart and tell him he loves him. We should be like that drug dealer, waiting with open arms for everyone, no matter their background and no matter if they will ever change.

I just wish every church would act like Bart and his friends do in their communtiy. I wish every United Methodist Church truly lived by their motto to have "Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds". Maybe we should alter it a little and say, "Open Arms". Churches & Christians remain judgemental, are lacking in the unconditional love, and need to stop trying to fix and change people and just embrace them with love. If everyone felt loved, we would have a whole different world.

I have decided I can probably relate everything to working with my kids, they do consume me life. But this is something I needed to hear. Our kids might never be "fixed" or "changed", they might repeat the same abuse their parents hurt them with, they might never get out of the cycle of poverty. Or some of our kids might. But that doesn't mean we give up hope, but we need to focus on just loving them with every ounce that we have in our bodies, to be there when they come home from school or have a crisis, with open arms to embrace them with love. Jesus showed us the way by spending time with the poor, lonely, broken people and loving them unconditionally. I challenge you to love deeply this season of Lent. Find away you or your church can embrace your community and share God's love.